Yonsei University Health System (YUHS) and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) said they successfully completed the maternal and child health capacity building project in Senegal. KOICA is a n official development assistance (ODA) unit under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The program, which started in 2019, aims to improve community awareness by informing midwives and nurses on the latest knowledge of maternal and child health in central Senegal, where maternal and neonatal deaths are high, and promoting the importance of prenatal examinations and delivery in medical facilities.
The project supports seven medical institutions, such as Kaolack, Fatick Provincial Hospital, and Gossas Health Center.
According to YUHS, the Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action said "coaching" was the most helpful outcome in this project.
The Senegalese health ministry stressed that it was easy to solve on-site problems as the project group directly visited the health facility instead of conducting a unilateral group education.
The Senegalese ministry also emphasized that the work manual, developed by YUHS and KOICA, will be expanded throughout Senegal.
Aside from providing maternal and child health information, the YUHS and KOICA project also supported Senegal's response to Covid-19.
The project helped Covid-19 related publicity through community visits to share prevention rules, such as wearing masks and washing hands, and supplying masks.
In addition, through the KOICA's ABC Program, a Covid-19 response support project for developing countries, the project group allocated 150 million won ($121,822) for the maintenance of quarantine facilities and support for quarantine supplies and provided medical equipment worth 1 billion won.
To prevent poor management of medical devices, the two organizations also held a workshop to educate the management of equipment by inviting managers of medical institutions.
"Although there were many difficulties in the project due to Covid-19, we made various achievements such as a maternal and child health capacity building project, the development of a national standard manual for healthcare worker activities, and the establishment of an institutional system for supplying and utilizing equipment," said Kimm Hee-jin, the project leader and a professor at Graduate School of Public Health Yonsei University's Institute for Health Promotion.
The hospital will continue to work with KOICA to improve maternal and child health in Senegal, Kimm added.